Tupelo Craft beer fest tickets selling well

TUPELO – Ticket sales for the inaugural Tupelo Craft Beer Festival are going well, its organizer says, with a third of the allotted 1,000 sold.
“We’re pleased with the response so far,” said Matt Leff, of Nashville-based Rhizome Productions, which is putting on the event.
The March 2 festival will be from noon to 5 p.m. at Veterans Park, and will feature at least 30 brewers from across the country and about 100 different beers.
Leff, who has produced beer festivals in Nashville, Chattanooga and Texas, said he expects to reach the halfway point in ticket sales soon.
He also expects a big walkup crowd the day of the festival. Rascal Flatts will have a concert at the BancorpSouth Arena later that day.
“From an organizational standpoint, we’d like to know how many to expect, but we’ve prepared to expect up to 1,000 people,” he said.
Advance tickets are $35 and can be bought online at www.tupelocraftbeerfest.com. At the gate, they’re $40. Only adults 21 and over are allowed to buy tickets.
The ticket price includes a glass brandy snifter for tasting and samples of the beer.
Designated driver tickets for $10 also are being sold. They do not include a glass.
Leff said security will check IDs, and festival organizers will ensure none of the designated driver ticket holders get any beer samples.
“We’ve had people try,” he said.
Those under 21 also will not be allowed into the festival, he added.
Volunteers will help at the event, and Rick Gladish, who’s pulling them together for the Tupelo-Lee Humane Society, said he’s signed up 35 so far.
“We could use another 15 to 20,” he said. “Each volunteer gets into the event for free, a free souvenir tasting glass, a volunteer T-shirt and time to sample the products as well.”
Volunteers – who also must be at least 21 – can sign up by visiting the website and clicking on “Rules & FAQ” and scrolling to the bottom of the page.
dennis.seid@journalinc.com